Success! And something exciting...

So the ginger chicken and sesame noodles were well received. The kids liked the chicken about as much as they like any chicken with sauce on it, but the sesame noodles were the real surprise. They ate them up! And the best part was, I totally improvised the sauce. So I was excited when checking the Culinate blog today to find this great article about improvising stir fry sauces.

I must admit that I used some bottled teriyaki marinade with some fresh grated ginger and garlic for the chicken, but for the noodles I just followed my heart and my tastebuds and whisked together some toasted sesame oil, tamari, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles. I had to adjust many times, and then ended up making a whole second batch after adding the first to the noodles (when trying new recipes at work I often forget I don't ever cook 4 pounds of pasta at a time at home!) but in the end it came out pretty good. Next time I won't be afraid of the sugar, and will maybe try honey instead.
And next week when chicken broccoli stir fry is on the menu, I'll be consulting the stir fry sauce cheat sheet!

Now for the "something exciting"!
Today Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss is touring our neighborhood - the Old North End - and will be stopping by BCS to eat some meatloaf and mashed potatoes with our Big Toddlers! My husband will be on hand to snap a few pictures, and also a few of all of our new classrooms and kiddos.
Look out for some pictures and details after the big day!
xoxo
Erinn

Why Kids Should Cook

The new school year is in full swing, and the classrooms are busy with lots of kitchen projects. I have been joined for some portion of almost every morning by groups of kids with a teacher or two sorting, measuring, mixing, talking, and cooking up snacks for themselves and their friends. So far they've made pancakes, muffins, applesauce, apple cake, and play dough. It's been incredible to witness, as groups of up to five patiently wait for their turn with the spoon, offer predictions for what ingredients come next, or how long they'll need to bake a dish, and generally relax into the kitchen.
So it was great timing when our director Sarah shared this article with me yesterday. It 's a wonderful articulation of exactly what our teachers believe and strive for, not just in the kitchen, but in their classroom philosophy as well.

http://www.culinate.com/articles/features/a_childs_place_is_in_the_kitchen

Take a minute to look around the site, Culinate, as well. Great recipes and ideas.
I think I'll try adapting the corn chowder, without the smoked fish, for the kids this fall.

My husband is planning a visit next week to document some of these projects, and our new preschoolers and toddlers enjoying lunch, so look for new photos soon.

New recipe for lunch today! Ginger chicken and sesame noodles! If it's a hit I'll post the recipe this weekend.
Happy Harvest!
Erinn